Fashion Networking Event THIS Tuesday Night!

This Tuesday, February 12, 2013

7pm-9pm

The Woman's Club of White Plains

305 Ridgeway, White Plains, NY 10605

We will be having a jewelry vendor, a dress vendor and gift bags for the first 50 people!

Come mingle and network while having some wine and refreshments!

Low key, informative, fun!

Forward to your friends, co-workers, family, the more the merrier - free admission - free parking

Want to look older? Didn't think so! Makeup tips to keep you looking young!

While watching the Today Show on NBC this morning, they had a small segment about makeup mistakes that can make you look older than you actually are. Who would want to do that? No one! So let me share some tips with you to make sure you are keeping yourself up-to-date and young (but not too young!)

1. Moisturizing!
How funny! Just last week I wrote a blog about face moisturizing for the winter months! It is a common mistake, but just because your face isn't itchy or feels dry, or even if you think you have too much oil - you MUST MUST MUST hydrate that skin! No matter what you think, without moisturizing your makeup will not go on as smoothly, and your skin will seem to age quicker. Also, many people think of foundation as "makeup". It is actually an additional protective layer for the skin. You don't have to use a heavy foundation to get the skin protection benefits you need. Using a pressed powder over your moisturizer will protect, as well as feel light and natural on the skin. Many powders are made with SPF for added sun protection - which is a must!
I love Estee Lauder's Double Wear Pressed Powder ($32). It glides on smooth and is great for oily and dry skin tones, as long as you are properly cleansed and moisturized first.

 

2. Dark Lip Liner with Light Lipstick is a No-No!

I don't know how many times magazines, and makeup artists and even friends, need to tell people that dark lip liner adds years to your look. Great for Halloween! Not great for everyday! As seen below, Pamela Anderson is one of the Queen's of using dark lip liner and nude lipstick! However the photo on the right as her with just nude lips. Even though they aren't the greatest photos of her, you can see how a subtle change to the lips can change the look.
My favorite combination for nude lips is MAC Whirl lip liner ($14), Hug Me lipstick ($14.50) and Bare Necessity Dazzleglass ($18.50). The photo of Jene Luciani below has her wearing that MAC combination. It's flawless and enhances any look on any skin tone!

3. Using Foundation as Bronzer = Clown Face
Many people think that by purchasing their foundation a shade or two darker, they won't have to apply bronzer, so therefore it will save them a step in the morning. Wrong! If your foundation leaves a visible line where the product ends and your skin begins, it is not the right color, and shouldn't be purchased (see left photo below). Foundation needs to match your skin tone so that you have a canvas for the rest of your makeup. If your base color is off, the rest of your face is going to be off. Say bye to you and hello to clown makeup (see C. Aguilera below). Heavy makeup ages your look, and who wants that? Not me!
Department stores let you sample products before you purchase, so use that to your advantage! It's not a scam to make you spend money (well, maybe alittle), but the company's have samples so you can see how their product feels and works before you purchase it. Some department store lighting is horrible - in that case, put the product on and take a mirror and walk to a window, or door and see how it looks in the natural light. Or, ask the company if you can take a sample home to try, that way you can use the product in your own environment and try it with your own products. Take advantage of what is offered to you so you receive the best results!

*Bonus - Not Cleansing Your Face Properly
I know this is not a makeup tip, however it is a tip, and you should read it carefully! When I was working for MAC, during my orientation, the instructor had said that every time you didn't wash your face before going to sleep, the skin on your face ages 7 days. Seven days??!! That is a crazy fact! If you don't wash your face before bed for a week, your face ages over a month!! Eekk!
Using a cream based cleanser is my favorite kind because it cleanses and hydrates at the same time, leaving your face soft afterwards, not dry and rough. However if the choice is a makeup remover wipe or not cleansing your face, the wipe will do! When it comes to cleansers, I don't feel it's necessary to break the bank. This is the type of product that you can purchase at a drugstore and it will work just as well.
Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser ($10) works extremely well with dry, normal and oily skin tones. Cleansing your face daily helps with breakouts and keeps your skin in tip-top shape! For those days when your about to fall on your face from exhaustion, I love my Oil of Olay Daily Facial Wipes. Just add water to create a creamy facial cloth that will wipe the day away (around $12).
Both available at your local drugstore, Walmart, and Target.

Keeping Up with the...Hair Styling Products!

There are SO MANY hair products out there! It is actually sick to think that there are probably hundreds of different brands of "flexible hold hairspray" or "anti-frizz serums". Which one is better than the rest? Unless you can try them all..you may never know which the best one is...but you will know which one  is best for you!

I wanted to share with you a few products that have made my - Top Hair Products That Make Me Want To Dance Around My Room From Happiness - list!

1. Sebastian Shaper Plus Hairspray
This is definitely one of my favorites! This hairspray works on all textures of hair and keep styles in place while also keeping the hair soft. It works for updo's and hairstyles where hair is all down.
When hairspray makes the hair too hard, eventually with movement and touching, it cracks and can cause white flakes that resemble dandruff - yuck! If you want a little bit of a stronger hold..check out product number two!

2. Rusk w8less Plus Hairspray
I know I already listed a hairspray, but this one is just as important..I swear! Along with the Sebastian hairspray, this is the only other hairspray I carry in my hairdressing bag! Again, this product is great for all textures and types of hair, and has a flexible strong hold. For those curls that you want to stay just a little longer - maybe for a wedding when hair has to look amazing for almost twelve hours - using the Rusk as a finishing spray is the way to go! I use both sprays together so that the inner portions of the updo use the Sebastian spray, and the outer parts, use the Rusk. Create your own combo of powerful products!

3. Aquage Beyond Body Thermal Spray
This should be a go-to product for anyone and everyone that uses any sort of heat-styling - blow drying, flat ironing, curling irons, etc. Spray once on each piece of hair before applying the heat, or apply to whole head prior to styling.  This thermal spray will keep your hair protected from heat damage, as well as makes even dull hair super shiny! Who doesn't want super shiny, undamaged hair? I don't know who!

*Bonus
Amazon.com sells most beauty products at a discounted price. So try there first, then if you can't find the product you want, check with your local stylist..or email me! makeupbyheathera@gmail.com - I would love to help you in any way I can!

Who's Afraid of the Big, Bold Brow?!

Bold Brows - many have them, many more want them - so don't be afraid!

This may not be one of Paula Abdul's favorite moments, but her brows are all the hype right now!  The fall runway models were showing bold brows from beginning to end.

In magazines, movies and TV, bold brows are taking center stage - and for you all that may get confused - bold does not mean bushy! Oh, heck no! Tame those bad boys, and make sure there are two! ;)

Kim Kardashian has fabulous bold brows that are shaped to frame her eyes, and face, perfectly. Who wouldn't die for these? I know I would! (those lashes too - they are false, but still so fabulous!)

Jennifer Connelly's brows are perfection! They bring bold and brow to a whole new level. While trimmed and shaped to accentuate her brow bone, these brows still have that "wild" look on both inner sides above the nose - creating one of the most amazing sets of brows ever seen!

When trying to create your perfect brow, which we know may not be as bold as those pictured above, you need to take your face shape, eye shape and the brows you were blessed with, into consideration. Using the diagram above, you can measure out (using a pencil or makeup brush to help with the guiding lines) where your brow should start and end, and where your arch should be. How thick or thin they will be depends on personal taste, as well as how thick/thin your brows are naturally. You can't have a bold brow like Kim K if your brows naturally are half the thickness. Well you can, but not naturally ;)

*Bonus:

Use a shade of eyeshadow or a brow shadow, that matches your brow color, to fill in between the hairs. This instantly makes them look fuller while not giving them the harsh lines a pencil can leave behind.

*Double Bonus:

If you love your pencil and don't want to part with it - I recommend purchasing a few disposable mascara wands, and brush through your brows after penciling them in. This loosens the product and blends in while diminishing the harsh lines so that they unite. You want to be natural - or as natural looking as can be!

Mascara...to pay more, or not to pay more...that is the question!

Mascara always has people stumped. You want to get the best bang for your buck, but many think the more expensive and intricate the brush design, the better - but not necessarily!
There are many mascara's available right in your budget, and they are work wonders too!
*The higher price point doesn't always equal a better product*

Under $10 -
For Volume - Maybelline Volum'Express Turbo Boost Mascara is one of my favorites! The brush doesn't let your lashes clump up and you can add a few coats to create dark, dramatic lashes!
For Length - Cover Girl Lash Blast Length is amazing! This light, airy mascara lets your lashes feel completely natural to the touch, yet adds a great deal of length! Enjoy long, beautiful lashes - everyday!

Over $15 -
For Volume - Hypnose by Lancome is fabulous! It gives the length and fullness you want in just a couple quick coats! Dramatic lashes have never been easier to achieve.
For Length - Yves Saint Laurent Faux Cils will never let you down! Get the great length you want, while still getting a natural lash look. Always beautiful, never flakey! *Bonus~it comes in a variety of colors (blue, green, violet) so that you can create a fun look during the day as well!

Mascara company's try to sell their product from all angles - lengthening, volumizing, strengthening, conditioning, the shape of brush, the brush (bristols or silicone), etc. No matter what, we all know that the lashes you see on the commericlas and advertisements have been touched up (to say the least!) To receive the closest copy cat to that look that you love in the photo, the above mascara's will be anything but false ;)

*Reminder:
Mascara, if used everyday, should be chucked after a month - two months tops! Those brushes are bacteria magnets! Ew!
Purchase Beauty Alert Labels to remind yourself when to toss & repurchase!